On 21 July 2021, the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government published a new “easy read” version of the How to rent guide, which you can access here.

The new guide, that has been produced is aimed at people with a range of learning difficulties, to assist them in understanding the tenancy process. Confusingly though, it does not replace the current How to rent guide.

Clients will be aware that the assured shorthold tenancy notices and prescribed requirements (England) regulations 2015 state that the current version of the guide must be provided to a tenant, or a section 21 notice cannot be served.

So which guide should you provide?

We foresee potential discrimination challenges under the Equality Act 2020 if landlords fail to provide a copy of the "easy to read" version, and yet providing that version alone seems to be a high-risk approach as it does not appear to contain all the necessary information.

Our advice is to now serve both the current How to rent document and the new additional "easy to read" version at the same time.